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Jackson Carman doesn’t appear to have long to make his case for a starting gig with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Carman, the team’s second-round pick this year, is often cited as part of the way the Bengals improved the line in front of Joe Burrow. But when the team’s first depth chart went out, he was listed as a third-stringer.
Even Duke Tobin hasn’t been shy about what Carman needs to do, as he told ESPN’s Ben Baby the following: “He’s gotta get himself in peak shape, which I think he’s working his way into that. What we see are the traits that we like in him.”
Carman’s needing to learn an entirely new position while maturing — both mentally and physically — has made him more of a developmental project than anticipated.
It has led to notes like this from Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic:
We addressed this on the pod, but we are basically down to Xavier Su’a-Filo, Michael Jordan and Jackson Carman in a battle for RG with Quinton Spain the solid LG. Add in D’Ante Smith as a rising LG backup project.
If I’m handicapping odds of OD starter, XSF 45, MJ 40, JC 15.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) August 12, 2021
To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with Carman needing additional time — and for all we know, he gets into a preseason game and looks dominant.
But leaving a starting gig to Xavier Su’a-Filo or Michael Jordan isn’t the best look, as it could mean only Riley Reiff’s right tackle spot gets an actual upgrade compared to last season (Frank Pollack’s return as line coach notwithstanding). Also making things look worse for Carman is the fast rise of fourth-rounder D’Ante Smith.
Again, this is the situation before three preseason games. Carman will get his chance, but the odds he’s a starter for the season opener seem slim.
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